Fever
- This article is about the theme from Dr. Mario. For the red virus known as "Fever" in the Nintendo Comics System, see Virus.
"Fever" is a musical theme composed by Hirokazu Tanaka for the 1990 game Dr. Mario. It has since made an appearance in every Dr. Mario game to date (not counting the Gamewatch Boy version). In the original Dr. Mario, it is one of the two selectable themes, with the other being "Chill." Compared to "Chill," "Fever" is more upbeat and fast-paced.
Composition
In composing "Fever," Hirokazu Tanaka's aim was to heighten the various feelings players experience while playing a game, such as confidence and anxiety, by incorporating different elements into the music, creating a song consisting of "'fun' parts and 'looming dread'-type parts." He also intended "Fever" to be "different" and "unusual" as games began to evolve and the industry began to see "really serious" composers. Tanaka describes the melody of "Fever" as "cute" to reflect the game's tone.[1]
Reuses
The following list does not include ports and remakes of Dr. Mario.
| Game | Description |
|---|---|
| Dr. Luigi | "Fever" plays in the Retro Remedy game mode. |
Arrangements
Dr. Mario series
Dr. Mario (Game Boy)
In the Game Boy version of Dr. Mario, a new section was added to "Fever" before the track loops. This addition is later present in the arrangements heard in Tetris & Dr. Mario, Dr. Mario 64, Dr. Mario & Puzzle League, and Dr. Mario World.
 Fever - The arrangement heard in the Game Boy version of Dr. Mario | File info 0:30 |
Tetris & Dr. Mario
In Tetris & Dr. Mario, "Fever" receives a new arrangement with quirky instrumentation.
| Fever - The arrangement heard in Tetris & Dr. Mario | File info 0:30 |
Dr Mario 64
In Dr. Mario 64, a new arrangement of "Fever" can play in all modes except for in the Story mode. This arrangement is reused in Nintendo Puzzle Collection.
| Fever - The arrangement heard in Dr. Mario 64 | File info 0:30 |
| Fever - The version of the arrangement heard in Dr. Mario 64 when only one Virus color remains | File info 0:30 |
Dr. Mario & Puzzle League
A new arrangement of "Fever" is included in Dr. Mario & Puzzle League. This version omits the theme's second half as well as the "responses" in the first half. The percussion rhythm at the beginning of the track is similar to the one in "Chill".
| Fever - The arrangement heard in Dr. Mario & Puzzle League | File info 0:30 |
Dr. Mario Online Rx
Dr. Mario Online Rx features two new arrangements of "Fever". The first is reminiscent of the version from Dr Mario 64 and can be played in the Dr. Mario mode, while the second is less faithful to the original, featuring a longer build-up and different melodic rhythm, and can be played during the Virus Buster mode.
The first arrangement is later reused in Dr. Mario Express, Dr. Luigi, and Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure.
| Fever - The arrangement heard in Dr. Mario Online Rx | File info 0:30 |
| Fever - The Virus Buster version of the arrangement heard in Dr. Mario Online Rx | File info 0:30 |
Dr. Mario World
Dr. Mario World features a new arrangement of "Fever" that can sometimes play during the game's levels.
Additionally, in the Virus Vid video series promoting Dr. Mario World, another arrangement of "Fever" is used as the background music. In July 6's episode, the first eight bars were given English and Japanese lyrics sung by the viruses. The viruses previously devised lyrics for the song in July 2's episode. Although the European-language closed captioning featured in July 2's episode translates the devised lyrics, the closed captioning in July 6's episode instead advertises Dr. Mario World's connectivity with Facebook and LINE.
| Fever - The arrangement from Dr. Mario World | File info 0:30 |
| Fever (Virus Vid) - The instrumental version of the arrangement heard in the Virus Vid videos for Dr. Mario World | File info 0:15 |
| Fever (Virus Vid) - The English version of the arrangement heard in the Virus Vid videos for Dr. Mario World | File info 0:15 |
| Fever (Virus Vid) - The Japanese version of the arrangement heard in the Virus Vid videos for Dr. Mario World | File info 0:15 |
Virus Vid version lyrics
Lyrics sung by red, gold, and dodgerblue viruses are colored in their corresponding colors, while lyrics sung by all three are colored black.
Full version
English
red
red
dodgerblue
don't give up - hey!
gold
gold
red
sing all day!
Japanese
| Japanese script | Romanization | Translation |
|---|---|---|
|
Kobin no naka kara |
Hello from inside a small bottle |
Tentative version
English
red
gold
Japanese
| Japanese script | Translation |
|---|---|
|
Hello from inside a small bottle~ |
French
| French script | Translation |
|---|---|
|
We vegetate in a beaker! |
German
| German script | Translation |
|---|---|
|
Greetings from a beaker! |
Italian
| Italian script | Translation |
|---|---|
|
Greetings from the bottle! |
Spanish
| Spanish script | Translation |
|---|---|
|
Greetings from a flask. |
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee features a new arrangement of "Fever" titled "Dr. Mario" and arranged by HAL Laboratory composer Shogo Sakai. It can play on the Mushroom Kingdom and Mushroom Kingdom II stages.
The arrangement returns in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, now titled "Dr. Mario (Melee)", where it can be played on the PictoChat stage; Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, now under the original title "Fever", where it can be played on the PictoChat 2 stage; Super Smash Bros. for Wii U where it can be played on the Flat Zone X stage; and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where it can be played on any Super Smash Bros.-series and Super Mario-series stage.
A live orchestrated arrangement is also featured in the soundtrack Super Smash Bros. Melee: Smashing...Live!
| Dr. Mario - The arrangement heard in Super Smash Bros. Melee | File info 0:30 |
| Dr. Mario - The live arrangement heard in Super Smash Bros. Melee: Smashing... Live! | File info 0:30 |
Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix
A techno arrangement of "Fever" titled "Deep Freeze" is used for the stage of the same name in Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix.
| Deep Freeze - The arrangement heard in Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix | File info 0:30 |
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, a brief arrangement of "Fever" plays when two or more viruses are defeated by matching their colors.
Other arrangements
Brain Age series
Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day!
A much calmer and slower-paced arrangement of "Fever" plays in the hidden Virus Buster minigame in Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day!
According to the game's host, Dr. Ryuta Kawashima, the music is intended to enhance the relaxation aspect of the minigame.[2]
This arrangement returns in the Virus Buster mode in Dr. Luigi and Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure.
| Virus Buster - The arrangement heard in Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day! | File info 0:30 |
Dr Kawashima's Brain Training for Nintendo Switch
A music box arrangement of "Fever" with piano, harp, and violin accompaniment very similar to the version heard in Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day! plays in the Virus Buster minigame in Dr Kawashima's Brain Training for Nintendo Switch.
| Virus Buster - The arrangement heard in Dr Kawashima's Brain Training for Nintendo Switch | File info 0:30 |
List of Super Mario appearances
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Mario | 1990 | Original | "Fever" | Hirokazu Tanaka |
| Dr. Mario (Game Boy) | 1990 | Arrangement | "Fever" | Hirokazu Tanaka |
| Tetris & Dr. Mario | 1994 | Arrangement | "Fever" | |
| Dr. Mario 64 | 2001 | Arrangement | "Fever" | Seiichi Tokunaga |
| Super Smash Bros. Melee | 2001 | Arrangement | "Dr. Mario" | Shogo Sakai |
| Nintendo Puzzle Collection | 2003 | Past arrangement (Dr. Mario 64) | "Fever" | Seiichi Tokunaga |
| Classic NES Series: Dr. Mario | 2004 | Original | "Fever" | Hirokazu Tanaka |
| Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix | 2005 | Arrangement | "Deep Freeze" | |
| Dr. Mario & Puzzle League | 2005 | Arrangement | "Fever" | Morihiro Iwamoto |
| Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day! | 2005 | Arrangement | Minako Hamano | |
| Super Smash Bros. Brawl | 2008 | Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Melee) | "Dr. Mario (Melee)" | Shogo Sakai |
| Dr. Mario Online Rx | 2008 | Arrangement | "Fever" | Masaru Tajima |
| Dr. Mario Express | 2008 | Past arrangement (Dr. Mario Online Rx) | "Fever" | Masaru Tajima |
| Dr. Luigi | 2013 | Original | "Fever" | Hirokazu Tanaka |
| Past arrangement (Dr. Mario Online Rx) | "Fever" | Masaru Tajima | ||
| Past arrangement (Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day!) | Minako Hamano | |||
| Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS | 2014 | Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Melee) | "Fever" | Shogo Sakai |
| Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | 2014 | Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Melee) | "Fever" | Shogo Sakai |
| Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure | 2015 | Past arrangement (Dr. Mario Online Rx) | Masaru Tajima | |
| Past arrangement (Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day!) | Minako Hamano | |||
| Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions | 2017 | Arrangement | ||
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | 2018 | Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Melee) | "Fever" | Shogo Sakai |
| Dr. Mario World | 2019 | Arrangement | ||
| Dr Kawashima's Brain Training for Nintendo Switch | 2019 | Arrangement |
Soundtracks
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Smash Bros. Melee: Smashing...Live! | 2003 | Arrangement | "Dr. Mario" | Shogo Sakai |
External links
References
- ^ Red Bull Music Academy (November 22, 2014). Hirokazu Tanaka on Nintendo Game Music, Reggae and Tetris | Red Bull Music Academy. YouTube. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
- ^ "Instead of activating your frontal lobe, this is meant to help you relax. [...] It's even more relaxing if you turn up the sound." — Dr. Kawashima, Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day!
| Dr. Mario 64 | |
|---|---|
| Playable characters | Dr. Mario • Wario • Spearhead • Webber • Silky • Appleby • Jellybob • Octo • Helio • Lump • Hammer-Bot • Mad Scienstein • Rudy • Metal Mario • Vampire Wario |
| Other characters | Para-Goom • Virus |
| Items and objects | Vitamin Capsule |
| Themes | Chill • Fever |
| Other | Gallery • Staff |
| Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure | |
|---|---|
| Characters | Dr. Mario • Dr. Luigi |
| Items and objects | Booster • Capsule • Capsule Blaster • Exploder • Locker • Reverser • Virus Blaster • Zapper |
| Other | Miracle Cure Laboratory stages (Training · Basic · Advanced) • Fever |
